| $ Shampoos & Topical Flea Control: $12 - $20 | $ $ Dog Flea Collars: $5 - $60 | $ $ $ Oral Flea Control: $25 - $40 |
Fleas can be a constant headache when having pets, especially with cats and dogs.
These tiny, wingless insects feed on warm-blooded animals, like your beloved dog.
They can jump about 200 times their body length, and if you’ve ever seen them in real life, this number won’t surprise you.
They’re not just inconvenient; if it’s not properly treated, fleas can cause serious health issues to dogs, like allergies, anemia, parasites -worms-, and kidney problems.
Given their life cycle, the eggs can stay dormant in different environments for around a year, so you never know when or where your dog might get infected with these blood-sucking insects.
Let’s review how you can tell if your dog has fleas, some of the options to eliminate and control fleas, as well as how much do these options cost.
Table of Contents
How Do I Know If My Dog Has Fleas?
Because of their size, fleas can be difficult to detect on your pet and in your house.
Your dog’s fur is an important factor here because the longer or thicker it is, the harder it will be to detect fleas.
However, there are a few signs that clearly show if your dog has fleas: constant scratching, chewing, and licking, redness on your dog’s skin, dark or black specks on its skin or fur.
These are flea feces, better known as ‘flea dirt’.
If you’re not sure whether it’s regular dirt or flea dirt, you could use a wet paper towel or cotton wool: if they turn red, there’s no doubt about it: it’s flea dirt.
What Options Are There To Control Fleas?
The first thing you should do if your dog has fleas is to contact your veterinarian.
He or she will properly advise you on which treatment options are better for your dog and its situation.
There are a few options when it comes to eliminating and controlling fleas in your dog:
Dog Flea Control Shampoos
Shampoos are a great option if you want to eliminate those fleas your dog has as soon as possible.
You can find some shampoos with natural ingredients that will help to keep your dog’s fur nice and healthy, while still getting rid of fleas and ticks.
Flea control shampoos can cost between $12 to $20, depending on the brand and ingredients.
Dog Flea Collars
These look like regular dog collars, but they release a substance that prevents fleas, ticks, and some even mosquitoes.
They generally provide from 6 to 8 months of protection for your dog, are water-resistant and most can adjust to different dog sizes.
You can find them from $5 to $60.
Topical Applications
These are drops that you can put in the back of your dog’s neck area.
The skin will absorb the substance, eliminating and preventing fleas for a certain period.
They can come with one or more doses that usually last around 30 days each.
You need to check that your dog’s size is the same as the one in the package since most of these treatments come classified by dog’s size.
The price for topical applications is from $12 to $18, per dose.
Oral Flea Control
This type of treatment comes either in hard tablets or soft chews.
You could buy some of these over the counter, but you might need a prescription for others.
In the end, it’s always better to check with your veterinarian first.
They can be used for eliminating the fleas your dog already has between 30 minutes to an hour of administrating the treatment.
Some of these tablets can also prevent ticks and worms.
You can continue the treatment as often as one tablet or chewable per day.
Oral flea treatments cost between $25 to $40.
What Else Can I Do To Prevent Fleas?
If you have more than one dog or pet in your house, you should treat them all for fleas, as well as any other parasites the fleas might have infected your pets with.
That’s why regular vet visits are so important; they always check your dog or any pets for parasites, no matter the type.
You should also regularly wash and clean your dog’s bed, blankets, and any other place where he or she usually spends time.
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